Bamboo Bicycle – Feasibility study for Design and Manufacturing

using Rapid Prototyping processes for a Bamboo Bicycle frame

Jose Antonio Ribeiro Vargas

(S13182719)

Course: Beng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering

Module coordinator/Tutor: Laura Leyland
Date: 25/07/2014

1
 Abstract

The current essay regards of the feasibility for the manufacturing of a bamboo bicycle
frame, along with the use of parametric CAD modelling, application of additive manufacturing
technologies and use of low environmental impact materials. The design of the bike is assessed
for sustainability, with the aid of computerised data base for materials and structurally analysed by
computational and physical methods.
The overall aim of the project was to generate a frame for the build of the frame, and how to
assess its engineering quality and reliability.

2
 Acknowledgments

This project was developed thanks to CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa – Brasil)
funding in partnership with Birmingham City University. I’d like to thank both institutions for the
opportunity of developing this project, even though the short time it took.
Second, I’d like to thank Christopher Caruk for his huge kindness of donating me a desktop
computer, which supported me in all my assignments this whole academic year here in the UK.
That gesture had a special meaning to me of friendship and it goes beyond the object itself. None
of my models, calculations, finite elements analysis and reports could’ve been done in a better
way without it.
I’m also grateful to Laura Leyland for taking me on this project and for all the help with it.
I am grateful to all of the lecturers I had this year, specially Tony Hayward (Manufacturing)
and Poonam Aulak (Management of Engineering Technology and Innovation), who was also my
personal tutor. Their lectures opened my eyes to new horizons in Mechanical Engineering and
professional career.
I also thank Richard Cornish for all of his great insights and advices concerning
computacional workbench simulations, testing and manufacturing.
To all the staff that I had contact with during this time: Martin Reeves, David Phillips and
Ishver Patel, my sincere regards and gratefulness for all the help and for being so patient with all
my requests and needs.
Lastly, I thank my mother Magdalena C. Ribeiro, family and all of my friends for supporting
me in every moment and for all of their good thoughts towards me.

3
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT 2
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 3
1.0 TABLE OF FIGURES 5
2.0 PROBLEM STATEMENT 7
3.0 FRAME DESIGN AND ANALYSIS 7
3.1 OVERALL DESIGN 7
3.2 MATERIAL SELECTION 8
3.3 CAD MODELING AND ANALYSIS 16
3.3.1 Geometry Constraints 17
3.3.2 Finite Elements Analysis 18
4.0 DESIGN VERIFICATION AND PHYSICAL TESTING 43
4.1 MECHANICAL TESTING – THREE POINT BENDING (TPB) TEST 47
4.1.1 Three Point Bending (TPB) Test Results 51
5.0 MANUFACTURING AND ASSEMBLY 51
5.1 PROTOTYPING 52
5.2 MANUFACTURING GUIDELINES, ISSUES AND RECOMMENDATIONS 59
6.0 COST ASSESMENT 60
7.0 FINAL CONSIDERATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS 62
8.0 REFERENCES 62

4
 1.0 TABLE OF FIGURES

Figure 1 - Overall proposed design .................................................................................................. 8

Figure 2 - Young's Modulus vs. Density*CO2 footprint*Price for bike frame truss linear members 10
Figure 3 - Young's Modulus vs. Density*CO2 footprint*Price for frame members, with gradient filter
....................................................................................................................................................... 10
Figure 4 - Young's Modulus vs. Density*CO2 footprint*Price for frame members ......................... 11
Figure 5 - Young's Modulus vs. Density*CO2 footprint*Price for ABS, PLA and Nylon.................. 12
Figure 6 - Young's Modulus vs. Density*CO2 footprint*Price for ABS, PLA and Nylon, with gradient
filter ................................................................................................................................................ 12
Figure 7 - Shear Modulus vs. Density*CO2 footprint*Price for ABS, PLA and Nylon ..................... 13
Figure 8 - Shear Modulus vs. Density*CO2 footprint*Price for ABS, PLA and Nylon, with gradient
filter ................................................................................................................................................ 13
Figure 9 - Parametric bike model ................................................................................................... 16
Figure 10 - Parametric table for CAD model .................................................................................. 17
Figure 11 - Simplified parametric table showing "key parameters" ................................................ 18
Figure 12 - Standard Mesh settings ............................................................................................... 19
Figure 13 - Comparison simulation without fibre composite lugs ................................................... 20
Figure 14 - Comparison simulation with fibre composite lugs ........................................................ 21
Figure 15 - Reference Loading Case ............................................................................................. 23
Figure 16 - Boundary condition at front fork - pinned constraint with fixed radial and axial
directions........................................................................................................................................ 23
Figure 17 - Boundary conditions at dropouts - pinned constraints with fixed radial and axial
directions........................................................................................................................................ 24
Figure 18 - Stress concentration in the dropouts. .......................................................................... 25
Figure 19 - Von Mises Stress for GC1 ........................................................................................... 26
Figure 20 - Safety factor plot for GC1 - regarding all designed components. ................................ 27
Figure 21 - Safety factor plot for GC1 - regarding only bamboo and ABS parts............................. 27
Figure 22 - Stress concentration for lowest Safety Factor in Seat lug. ........................................... 28
Figure 23 - Bottom Bracket lug safety factor .................................................................................. 28
Figure 24 - Head tube lug safety factor .......................................................................................... 29
Figure 25 - Safety factor plot for GC1 - regarding only bamboo components ................................ 29
Figure 26 - Stress concentration in Top and Down tube. ............................................................... 30
Figure 27 - Comparison results for different Geometric configurations .......................................... 31
Figure 28 - Safety factor plot for GC2 – Head lug excluded ........................................................... 32
Figure 29 - Safety factor plot for GC2 - Head lug (0.76 min) .......................................................... 33
Figure 30 - Safety factor plot for GC3 (0.31 min) ........................................................................... 34
Figure 31 - Safety factor plot for GC3 - Down tube close up (0.31 min) ......................................... 35
Figure 32 - Safety factor plot for GC3 - Down tube excluded (1.32 min) ........................................ 36
Figure 33 - Safety factor plot for GC3 - Bottom lug close up (1.41 min) ......................................... 36
Figure 34 - Safety factor plot for GC3 - Head lug close up (2.14 min) ........................................... 37
Figure 35 - Safety factor plot for GC3 - Seat lug close up (10.39 min) ........................................... 38
Figure 36 - Safety factor plot for GC4 (1.52 min) ........................................................................... 39
Figure 37 - Safety factor plot for GC5 (1.63 min) ........................................................................... 40
Figure 38 - Safety factor plot for GC5 - Down tube close up (1.63 min) ......................................... 41
Figure 39 - Safety factor plot for GC5 – Bottom bracket lug close up (1.97 min) ........................... 42
Figure 40 - Safety factor plot for GC5 – Head tube lug close up (2.09 min) ................................... 43
Figure 41 - Printed ABS part for TPB Test ..................................................................................... 44
Figure 42 - Cross section diagram for test sample assembly......................................................... 44
Figure 43 - Components assembly for TPB test (a) ....................................................................... 45
Figure 44 - Components assembly for TPB test (b) ....................................................................... 46
Figure 45 - Components assembly for TPB test (c) ....................................................................... 46
Figure 46 - Components assembly for TPB test (d) ....................................................................... 47
Figure 47 - TPB loading assembly for Bamboo/ABS connection ................................................... 48
Figure 48 - Fracture of the sample for Bamboo/ABS connection ................................................... 48

5
Figure 49 - Detail of the fracture for TPB test................................................................................. 49
Figure 50 - TPB loading assembly for Bamboo only ...................................................................... 49
Figure 51 - Fracture of the sample for Bamboo only ...................................................................... 50
Figure 52 - Detail for longitudinal fracture of the bamboo sample .................................................. 50
Figure 53 - Force (N) vs. Deflection (mm) plot for Bamboo/ABS connection (blue) and Bamboo
only (red) ........................................................................................................................................ 51
Figure 54 - Prototype section of Head tube lug assembly (a) ........................................................ 52
Figure 55 - Prototype section of Head tube lug assembly (b) ........................................................ 53
Figure 56 - 3D printer used in the project – Dimension 1200es (Stratasys®) ................................ 54
Figure 57 - Batch of printed parts for one bike set ......................................................................... 55
Figure 58 - 3D printed Bottom bracket lug ..................................................................................... 55
Figure 59 - 3D printed Head tube lug ............................................................................................. 56
Figure 60 - 3D printed Seat tube lug .............................................................................................. 56
Figure 61 - Bamboo canes cut to size ............................................................................................ 57
Figure 62 - Bamboo glued together to the lugs .............................................................................. 57
Figure 63 - Layers of fibre/resin composite applied over Head tube lug connection ...................... 58
Figure 64 - Compressed Head tube lug for curing ......................................................................... 59
Figure 65 - Final concept prototype ............................................................................................... 60

6
2.0 PROBLEM STATEMENT

The current market for bicycles is mainly dominated by metal frames. Given that, in the
current global economy, every design and manufacturing process has extensive environmental
impact - due to the use of natural resources, outsourced materials and industrial processes –
engineering design needs to address “design for the environment” methodologies.
This project proposes the feasibility study for the use of an alternative material - in this case
Bamboo – for a bike frame, considering its design, prototyping and manufacture compliant with
environmental policies and thus committed to reduction of carbon emissions and costs.
Although there are already bike frames made of Bamboo in the market, there is lack of
technical published information about such products, being kept as intellectual property and
therefore, leaving a gap between consumer and product due to high prices, caused by added
value of handcrafting skills.
Another big issue is the cost of those eco-frames, that have a huge amount of handcraft
added to the price, making the access to them very limited. Therefore, one of the aims of the
project is use Rapid Prototyping as a mean of simplifying the production and assembly of the
product.

3.0 FRAME DESIGN AND ANALYSIS

3.1 OVERALL DESIGN

The approach hereby taken is to define criteria for the structural resistance and
performance of the chosen material for a bike frame, in this case, bamboo.
The overall design of a bike frame is of a spatial truss, usually referred by frame builders as
a “diamond shape”, due to the two triangles formed on the construction. Usually, for metal frames,
all tubes are joined together by welding, brazing or even gluing. Lugs can be used as well. And
since all parts are made out of metal, the bottom brackets, seat posts and fork can be attached to
with no compatibility issues between the materials, regarding strength, thermal properties, etc.
With bamboo, there must be a concern for the joints between the tubing itself and the
interface with metal components (e.g. bottom brackets, dropouts), therefore is proposed the
making of plastic lugs, using additive manufacturing (i.e. 3D printing) to generate complex shapes
for the fitting of the bamboo and metal parts attached to them. To join the bamboo and the lugs, is
proposed the use of adhesive resin mixed with natural fibres, enhancing the structural integrity of
the joint, and contributing to a lower carbon footprint on the whole frame. Dropouts still have to be
made of metal, to be compatible with standard bike parts.
Therefore, the overall design is showed below:

7
 Figure 1 - Overall proposed design
In yellow are the linear frame members, in red the reinforcement fibre composite (around
the rapid prototyping parts in green), and in grey and blue are the metal inserts and dropouts,
respectively.

3.2 MATERIAL SELECTION

The material selection followed the framework suggested by Ashby (2009), defining an
objective translation matrix. CES EduPack® was used to compare existing material’s database
and.

Bike Frame – Material Selection Translation Matrix

Component Frame member
Dynamically loaded structure formed of circular
Function hollow tubes submitted to bending, torsion,
tensile/compression stresses.
- Strength for compression and tensile
stresses
Constraints
- Stiffness for bending and torsion stresses
- Fatigue strength requirements
Frame connections (Lugs)
Dynamically loaded structure submitted
to bending, torsion, tensile/compression
stresses.
- Strength for compression and
tensile stresses
- Stiffness for bending and torsion
stresses

8
 - Fatigue strength requirements
- Must be consistent low cost
Rapid Prototyping material (ABS,
PLA or Nylon)
1 Minimise cost
Objectives 2 Minimise mass
3 Minimise life-cycle carbon footprint
Free
Section area Free form Volume
variables

Table 1 - Translation matrix

The frame truss linear members follow basic assumptions for dynamically loaded structures
and will be hollow circular bars, like in regular bike building. Consulting data base about the
material, it is confirmed that Bamboo has a higher stiffness to weight ratio than some metal alloys
used currently in bike frame’s manufacturing, such as Steel and Aluminium alloys (see Figure 2
and Figure 3). Therefore, it is interesting to undertake a design application for such material in
order to explore other aspects of the substitution of metal, regarding sustainable use of materials
and embodied energy in finished products, since it is also related to cost and overall efficiency. It
is also well stablished that bamboo is a reliable material for that application, seen that it is used by
a wide variety of companies and bike builders in the United States, United Kingdom and Europe.
Ultimately, in CES is assessed the variables accounting for the suitability of the chosen
material for the design. This is done by plotting comparison graphs taking into account the
constraints, objective and free variables of the translation matrix. Material indices are used
according to Ashby (2009) to define the graphs variables.

Material Indices
(minimized mass
Member Function Desirable Loading
( ), cost ( ) and
CO2 footprint)

Beam Stiff Bending

Shaft Stiff Torsion

Table 2 - Material indices according to structural function

Gradient lines in the graphs help define the optimal selection of materials for each indice, or
the combination of them.

9
 Figure 2 - Young's Modulus vs. Density*CO2 footprint*Price for bike frame truss linear members

Figure 3 - Young's Modulus vs. Density*CO2 footprint*Price for frame members, with gradient filter

10
 Figure 4 - Young's Modulus vs. Density*CO2 footprint*Price for frame members

Then, from the graphs, it is confirmed that bamboo is ranked amongst the most suitable
materials, even though it doesn’t have the highest ratio for stiffness. That is compensated with
other aspects of manufacturing, like the fact that it is already found in nature as a tubular cross
section, and for its fast growing rate (around 50cm a day, depending on the species).
Meanwhile, the connections for the frame members are designed to be made using low cost
Rapid prototyping processes. In that context, the most commonly used materials are: PLA (Poly
Lactic Acid or Polylactide), ABS (Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) and Nylon (Polyamides) plastics.
They will be considered in the analysis for being cheaper and engineering reliable materials for 3d
printing.
In CES, the same material indices used for the frame members were taken for the 3D
printing materials, in order to comply with the same structural requirements.

11
 Figure 5 - Young's Modulus vs. Density*CO2 footprint*Price for ABS, PLA and Nylon

Figure 6 - Young's Modulus vs. Density*CO2 footprint*Price for ABS, PLA and Nylon, with gradient filter

12
 Figure 7 - Shear Modulus vs. Density*CO2 footprint*Price for ABS, PLA and Nylon

Figure 8 - Shear Modulus vs. Density*CO2 footprint*Price for ABS, PLA and Nylon, with gradient filter

13
 As seen in Figure 5 to Figure 8, PLA seems to be the most suited material for the design,
having a higher ratio for both Young’s Modulus and Shear Modulus, and a smaller CO2 footprint
(3.61kg/kg against 3.83kg/kg from ABS), and price.
However, ABS is a more widely used material for engineering purposes, since it is more
flexible than PLA and has a more prolonged life span, since PLA is biodegradable. Also, due to its
stiffness, PLA is very brittle, and needs plasticizers to obtain better performance. That is a very
important property, since the bike is exposed to dynamic loads, and needs to be stiff, but flexible
enough to avoid sudden failure, and also absorb impact and vibrations from the working cycles.
There are as well the manufacturing aspects to be considered for each material. PLA has
less tendency to warp during FDM processes than ABS, and the nozzle of the extruder needs less
heat to melt it. ABS needs a controlled temperature surface to be printed on, or else it can present
warping deformation.

Material Pros Cons

- Since it is an petroleum
- Stiff and hard derivate, it has a higher
- Widely used for CO2 footprint
ABS machine and car parts - Deforms when printed
- Higher melting point on a non-heated surface
- Longer lifespan - Release harmful fumes
during printing
- Can be printed on a cold
surface
- Less environmental
impact
- No harmful fumes - Can deform in high
PLA during printing temperatures
- Higher printing speed - Brittle behaviour
due to lower melting
temperature
- More accuracy in
printed parts

Table 3 - Rapid prototyping comparison table - Source: http://www.absplastic.eu/pla-vs-abs-plastic-pros-cons/

Since PLA is subjected to deformation under heat, it makes it less suitable for a bike, since
it is directly exposed to weather conditions, while ABS is a more stable plastic and consolidated as
engineering material.

14
 Regarding the composite to be used as reinforcement for the lugs/bamboo interface, it will
be tried a jute fibre composite to asses the suitability for the design, since it does not exist a
specific material database on that composite. The resin at first will be epoxy, commonly used for
glass and carbon fibre composites. There is a concern for looking into natural and/or less
environmentally harmful resin, water or plant based.
Therefore, the material selection for the design is: bamboo for the frame members - Tonkin
bamboo (10-18mm diameter) and Moso bamboo (30-50mm diameter) were available from
suppliers in the UK - ABS for the 3D printed lugs – was also the available material in Birmingham
City University’s workshop - and jute fibre/epoxy composite for the lugs reinforcement material.
Below, it is shown the summary for the materials to be used in the bike design concept, with
its main properties.
Shear Tensile Yield
Young’s Modulus
Component Material Density (kg/m3) Modulus Strength Strength
(GPa)
(GPa) (MPa) (MPa)
Top tube
Down tube
Bamboo
Seat tube 700 17.5 1.08 40.5 39.5
(Moso)
Chain stays
Seat stays
Heat tube
shell
Aluminium
Seat tube shell 2700 74 26.5 420 352.5
alloy
Bottom
bracket shell
Low alloy
Dropouts 7800 211 81 1155 950
Steel
Head tube lug
Seat tube lug ABS
1110 2 0.675 41.4 34.75
Bottom plastic
bracket lug
Lugs
Jute fibre 1400 36.5 17.6 550 337.5
reinforcements
Lugs Epoxy
1250 2.72 0.97 67.3 53.9
reinforcements resin

15
3.3 CAD MODELING AND ANALYSIS

The 3D virtual model of the proposed design was made in Autodesk Inventor software,
using geometric constraints and parameters to drive the key shapes of the frame, such as the
overall geometry of the frame, cross-sections of the bamboo stems and internal thickness of the
lugs. The overall frame geometry was derived from online research on bike manufacturer’s size
sheets. The chosen geometry chosen was for a 60cm Road bike frame, which would suite for a tall
rider, and that also has larger span for the bamboo, so that buckling and deformation could be
taken on the worst case possible regarding the structural integrity of the design.
A parametric table was used to generate several geometry configurations within the model,
which allows making fast modifications and iterations on the model in order to accelerate the
process of design proposals and further on to help generate several structural simulations testing
different shapes and sizes. That also makes possible to build relations between different parts,
assuring the accuracy of the model regarding its geometry and/or assembly fittings.
Another very important purpose of the CAD model is to give documentation output for
manufacturing, either by engineering drawings, or by capability of generating digital files for 3D
printing such as “.STL”, which can be directly exported from the CAD software to a additive
manufacturing machinery such as a desktop 3D printer.

Figure 9 - Parametric bike model

16
3.3.1 Geometry Constraints

There are some geometry constraints regarding of assembly and compatibility with
standard bike parts, such as:
- The bamboo seat tube has to be minimum 45mm in diameter, in order to fit the
34.9mm aluminium seat tube, and to have clearance for fitting the seat lug inside of
the bamboo;
- The opening angle of the seat stay and chain stay tubes is to be determined by the
hub span. In this case, a commercial rear hub was used to dimension that dimension
clearance, allowing for the best assembly fit.

Figure 10 - Parametric table for CAD model

In order to simplify the generation of different models from the parametric table, some
parameters are set as “key parameters”, meaning that every other parameters or a set of them are

17
consumed by those through related values or equations set in the table. The key parameters are
set based on the components

Figure 11 - Simplified parametric table showing "key parameters"

3.3.2 Finite Elements Analysis

An ideal study of the structure of the bike frame would have to be done according to
standard tests performed for safety and government approval for product manufacturing, being
supported by the following standards: BSI 6102-1:1992 / EN 14764:2005 (City and trekking
bicycles — Safety requirements and test methods), ASTM F2711-08 (Standard Test Methods for
Bicycle Frames). However, the used workbench would not support such boundary conditions, and
therefore, a simplified model was used for the simulations, according to Maestrelli (2008)
According to the overall bibliographic references for Finite Elements Analysis theory, two
primary aspects are responsible for the accuracy and reliability of that, being:
- Boundary conditions
o to be considered for Loading Cases 1 to 5: fixed hinge on the front fork and
frictionless on the rear dropout faces (as showed in Figure 16);
o to be considered for Loading Case 6: fixed at the dropout support and moving
pin along the tangential direction of the front fork.
- Meshing – used the standard meshing from Inventor Stress Analysis simulator,
according to parameters in Figure 12.

18
 Figure 12 - Standard Mesh settings

3.3.2.1 Conceptual design verification - Workbench

In this phase the design was simulated in a generic loading case, in order to determine if it
would be more efficient to include or not the epoxy resin lugs in the design. From the following
figures, can be seen that for less stress, is recommended to use the lugs, and also because
observing the material properties for the jute fibre, is to be noticed it has a high Yield Strength,
which would help prevent crack of the bamboo in the tubes connections.

19
Figure 13 - Comparison simulation without fibre composite lugs

20
 Figure 14 - Comparison simulation with fibre composite lugs

3.3.2.2 Dimensional analysis

This stage determines the best geometry configurations regarding cross section sizes and
thickness for the designed components, including the interface metal tubing for the remaining bike
parts. The aim of this stage is to stablish an optimal geometry for the design in order to get a
minimum safety factor of 1.5.
Using the parametric table inside the CAD model, could be generated 6 dimensional
options (hereby called “Geometric configuration - GC”) to be compared through Finite Element
Analysis in Autodesk Inventor software, and define the final concept of the frame.
The Geometric configurations generated for the frame are shown in the table below

21
 Parameters GC 1 GC 2 GC 3 GC 4 GC 5
BTTD (mm) 35 35 40 40 43
BDTD (mm) 35 35 40 40 43
BSTD (mm) 45 45 45 45 45
CSBTD (mm) 16 18 18 20 20
BTWT (average -
3 3 3 3.5 4
mm)
CSTWT 2 2 2 2.5 3
SSTWT CSTWT CSTWT CSTWT CSTWT CSTWT
LWT (mm) 2 2 2 3 3
DPM Steel Steel Steel Steel Steel
DPT (mm) 4 5 5 5 5

Table 4 - Geometric configuration's table

Where:
- BTTD = Bamboo Top tube diameter
- BDTD = Bamboo Down tube diameter
- BSTD = Bamboo Seat tube diameter
- BCSTD = Bamboo Chain-stay tube diameter
- BTWT = Bamboo tube wall thickness (minimum)
- CSTWT = Chain stay tube wall thickness
- LWT = Lug wall thickness
- DPM = Dropout material
- DPT = Dropout plate thickness

The loading case considered was based on comparison made between the BS 6102
Standard, which establish physical test methods for safety in bicycle frames, and documents found
online about the subject. In order to save computational time on simulations, was chosen the worst
loading case, which was found in Maestrelli (2008), as seen in Figure 15. It illustrates the stand-up
pedalling forces of a cyclist. The loads are shown in the picture as well.
The boundary conditions considered are as follow in Figure 16 and Figure 17, showing
pinned constraints at the front fork and rear triangle of the bike.

22
 Figure 15 - Reference Loading Case

Figure 16 - Boundary condition at front fork - pinned constraint with fixed radial and axial directions.

23
 Figure 17 - Boundary conditions at dropouts - pinned constraints with fixed radial and axial directions

During the analysis of the results for the first simulations, could be seen that the fork stress,
handlebars and dropouts can be disregarded, since they are the aim for the current design of the
frame, but the ABS parts, and their interfaces with the bamboo and the fibre-epoxy wrap around
them. As can be seen in Figure 18, the dropout concentrate a lot of stress in a small region, that
must be disregarded for analysis of the whole frame.
The dropout design will be reviewed later on for improvements.

24
 Figure 18 - Stress concentration in the dropouts.

Each Geometric configuration was simulated using the same loading and boundary
conditions, and their results are shown disregarding the fork and dropout components, since the
main interest of the analysis are the ABS connections and the fibre wraps. Therefore, the results
show only the stress and strain on the interest components.
On the Von Mises Stress plot for GC1, not much conclusions will be taken, since higher
stresses concentrate in the materials with higher stiffness such as the metal inserts (bottom
bracket, head tube and seat tube), therefore, the safety factor will be taken as principal parameter
for conclusions, aiming for the final design at a safety factor of 1.5 to 2 minimum, since the loads
are majored.
In Figure 20, can be seen from the blue colour the areas poorly affected by stress and that
are safe for manufacturing, which are the jute fibre with epoxy resin. Hiding those components,
along with the metal inserts, that are as well safe for use, can be seen from Figure 21 the safety
factor for the bamboo and ABS parts, with a minimum value of 0.73, located in the seat lug, on a
concentrated area, and thus, can be interpreted as a non-compromising damage to the design.
The lugs are critical components in the design, considering that they are responsible for
taking the major stresses in the structure of the bike, but it can be seen from the workbench
simulations that the top tube, down tube and back stays (seat and chain) are as well main
members of consideration in the stress analysis, presenting the highest values for Von Mises
stress and the lowest safety factors. And since the top tube and down tube are required a lot of

25
stiffness due to the link with the head lug piece, they are thus stressed along diagonal paths, as
seen in Figure 21.
The head lug itself is one of the most damaged parts by the loads in the simulations, due to
bending movement resulted from the applied loads on the handlebars and paddles by the natural
cycling movement.

Figure 19 - Von Mises Stress for GC1

26
 Figure 20 - Safety factor plot for GC1 - regarding all designed components.

Figure 21 - Safety factor plot for GC1 - regarding only bamboo and ABS parts.

27
Figure 22 - Stress concentration for lowest Safety Factor in Seat lug.

Figure 23 - Bottom Bracket lug safety factor

28
 Figure 24 - Head tube lug safety factor

Figure 25 - Safety factor plot for GC1 - regarding only bamboo components

29
 Figure 26 - Stress concentration in Top and Down tube.

Next, is presented a graph with the simulations results for the geometric configurations
iterated in the model. As common sense would suggest, the bigger the cross section area of the
bamboo and further components, the stiffer and stronger the bike will be, but increasing weight as
well.

30
 200
150
100
50
0
-50
-100
-150
-200
-250
-300
Von Mises 1st Principal 1st Principal 3rd Principal 3rd Principal Displacemen Safety Factor
Displacemen
Stress (Max.) Stress (Max.) Stress (Min.) Stress (Max.) Stress (Min.) t (Max.) - (Absolute
t (Min.) - mm
- Mpa - Mpa - Mpa - Mpa - Mpa mm Min.)
GC1 153.1 170.3 -81 99.3 -242 2.56 0.003 0.73
GC2 162.1 177.4 -86.7 103.5 -257.7 2.804 0.001 0.76
GC3 128.9 167.7 -44.7 52.3 -143.5 2.182 0.001 0.31
GC4 93.07 108.8 -23.2 33.9 -106.3 2.288 0.004 1.52
GC5 98.99 137 -44.1 42.04 -85.77 2.041 0.003 1.63

Figure 27 - Comparison results for different Geometric configurations

An alternative to increasing cross section area would be work on the diameter transitions
from the bamboo to the lugs, avoid areas where stress concentrates, therefore tapered elements
can be created in the lugs, optimizing material to where it is more likely to have large
concentration of stresses. Another aspect to be observed is that the reinforcement material is
never an issue, seen that it holds enough stress, subjected to tensile stresses mostly.
Next are presented the other iterations done for composing the table and its main issues
regarding each geometry configuration.
From the results of the simulations, it is worthy to notice that the head lug is the part where
most of the stress concentration occurs, on the transition from the Down tube to the head piece.
Another stress concentration area is the fitting between the lug and the bamboo from the frame,
probably generated by contact pressure, as seen in Figure 31 and Figure 38. Another critical
stress region is the hoop of the right chain stay of the bike, subjected to the action of the pedalling,
according to the loads applied. That behaviour could be expected to be symmetrical, due to the
nature of the working cycle of the bike.

31
Figure 28 - Safety factor plot for GC2 – Head lug excluded

32
Figure 29 - Safety factor plot for GC2 - Head lug (0.76 min)

33
Figure 30 - Safety factor plot for GC3 (0.31 min)

34
Figure 31 - Safety factor plot for GC3 - Down tube close up (0.31 min)

35
Figure 32 - Safety factor plot for GC3 - Down tube excluded (1.32 min)

Figure 33 - Safety factor plot for GC3 - Bottom lug close up (1.41 min)

36
Figure 34 - Safety factor plot for GC3 - Head lug close up (2.14 min)

37
Figure 35 - Safety factor plot for GC3 - Seat lug close up (10.39 min)

38
Figure 36 - Safety factor plot for GC4 (1.52 min)

39
Figure 37 - Safety factor plot for GC5 (1.63 min)

40
Figure 38 - Safety factor plot for GC5 - Down tube close up (1.63 min)

41
Figure 39 - Safety factor plot for GC5 – Bottom bracket lug close up (1.97 min)

42
 Figure 40 - Safety factor plot for GC5 – Head tube lug close up (2.09 min)

At the end of the simulations and from the results in Figure 27, it was decided to go for the
GC4 as prototyping design option, since it attained a 1.52 safety factor, which cmplies with the
objectives described.

4.0 DESIGN VERIFICATION AND PHYSICAL TESTING

In this phase, after finding the best geometric configurations for the 3D model, 3 samples
were built of small sections of the design to verify the structural coherence of the materials
compared to the bamboo alone.
The part designed for testing is shown in Figure 41. The test performed in this stage was a
Three Point Bending (TPB) Test.

43
 Figure 41 - Printed ABS part for TPB Test

The ABS part is glued to two sections of bamboo cut to the dimensions shown in Figure 42,
and wrapped in a jute fibre/epoxy composite, simulating the typical junction for the plastic lugs in
the bike.

Figure 42 - Cross section diagram for test sample assembly

44
Figure 43 - Components assembly for TPB test (a)

45
Figure 44 - Components assembly for TPB test (b)

Figure 45 - Components assembly for TPB test (c)

46
 Figure 46 - Components assembly for TPB test (d)

4.1 MECHANICAL TESTING – THREE POINT BENDING (TPB) TEST

The test is to determine the behaviour of the bamboo/plastic/fiber composite assembly

under bending conditions.
The ABS part used for the assembly for the test is shown in Figure 42, and the load applied
is as shown in.
Test was performed using Testometric (micro 500/50kN) machine and Wintest Analysis
software. The simulation parameters are as follow:
- Max load: 5000 kgf
- Test speed: 5mm/min

47
Figure 47 - TPB loading assembly for Bamboo/ABS connection

Figure 48 - Fracture of the sample for Bamboo/ABS connection

48
 Figure 49 - Detail of the fracture for TPB test

The fracture happens were the plastic connection has a smaller cross-section, exactly on
the transition from the bigger to the smaller diameter, and splits the piece across the transversal
direction, which is perpendicular to the layering of the material deposition in the 3D printing.
The same test was performed with a sample of bamboo for comparison. The same
parameters applied for the test.

Figure 50 - TPB loading assembly for Bamboo only

49
 Figure 51 - Fracture of the sample for Bamboo only

Figure 52 - Detail for longitudinal fracture of the bamboo sample

The fracture of the bamboo sample occurs in the form of cracks in the longitudinal
direction, showing that the hoop direction in the bamboo is more fragile than the longitudinal one,
which is the one of the disposition of the bamboo fibres. Therefore, it is expected from the fibre

50
composite to counteract that effect in the hoop direction of the bamboo tube, as well for the
longitudinal direction.

4.1.1 Three Point Bending (TPB) Test Results

The results for the test are presented in the following graph and table attached.

Figure 53 - Force (N) vs. Deflection (mm) plot for Bamboo/ABS connection (blue) and Bamboo only (red)

Deflection Deflection Deflection

Load @ Load @ Load @
Sample @ Yield @ Peak @ Break
Yield (N) Peak (N) Break (N)
(mm) (mm) (mm)
Bamboo/A
BS 584.60 1.32 2160.50 5.13 1756.60 5.26
connection
Bamboo
574.10 1.38 1509.20 5.18 1013.70 6.49
only

The Yield load for the Bamboo/ABS is slightly higher than the one for the bamboo alone,
but the breaking load is much higher. That demonstrates that the composite reinforcement does
counteract the hoop stress caused on the bamboo by bending, and therefore meets the
expectations about the composite behaviour and function in the design.
However, further testing would be recommended to get more accurate data. A full scale test
with a functional prototype would be essential as well to fully assess the dynamic behaviour under
working loads.

5.0 MANUFACTURING AND ASSEMBLY

The main part of the project consists of an empirical and handcrafted work to build the
concept prototype of the bike frame. Most of the information and data in this section is either
practical or derived from online research and observation of “DIY” (Do it yourself) tutorials.

51
Therefore, the need for documentation on the subject for scientifically based data, or at least
hands on critical thinking.
5.1 PROTOTYPING

Two prototypes were made in this phase, to proof the building technique. One was a
section of the bike model coated with the fibre composite and the other was a full scale model of
the bike geometric configuration used in the simulations.
The section is showed in the following figures, and is simply fitted using the designed lugs.

Figure 54 - Prototype section of Head tube lug assembly (a)

52
 Figure 55 - Prototype section of Head tube lug assembly (b)

The building of the prototype for the bike frame consists of the following phases, which
would be incorporated in the manufacturing of streamlined production:
1 - Defining Geometry of the frame in the CAD model
Once the simulation results were available, the chosen geometry for prototyping could be
easily used to generate dependant documentation for fabrication. In this case, instead of
generating engineering drawing for that, the 3D geometry itself is the information used by the
machine to produce the parts.

2 - Generate .STL (Stereo Lithography) files from the lugs for 3D printing
The .STL format is an universal file format for 3D printing, which most machines use to
create the tool paths for FDM.

3 Print the parts in a 3D printer

The printing process is probably simpler involved in the process, once the .STL files are at
hand. The printer has an interface software to a desktop computer, which arranges the geometry
in the printing table, and generates printing paths like in a regular paper printer, varying the z-axis
coordinates for each layer of the model, generating a three dimensional product. The total amount
of material used is equal to the total volume of the parts being printed, plus the volume of support

53
material needed to hold bits of the piece that would be hanging in the air, and that cannot be
printed without something to hold them in place.

Figure 56 - 3D printer used in the project – Dimension 1200es (Stratasys®)

The total volume of material used print one set of components for the bike wasThe building
of the prototype for the bike frame consists of the following phases, which would be incorporated
in the manufacturing of streamlined production

54
Figure 57 - Batch of printed parts for one bike set

Figure 58 - 3D printed Bottom bracket lug

55
Figure 59 - 3D printed Head tube lug

Figure 60 - 3D printed Seat tube lug

56
 4 Cut to desired length and prepare the bamboo canes for fitting
From the CAD file also, can be taken the dimensions of the linear length for the bamboo
tubes, as long as the model was correctly defined.

Figure 61 - Bamboo canes cut to size

5 Glue the lugs to the respective bamboo tubes

That was done using regular all-purpose adhesive, but it should be recommended to search
for glues that are suited for the bonded materials, in this case, bamboo and plastic.

Figure 62 - Bamboo glued together to the lugs

57
 6 Apply layers of the fibre/resin composite
The purpose of the fibre/resin composite is to reinforce the connection between the bamboo
and the plastic lugs, creating a strong bond between them and it also protects the parts from
outside agents.
The application of the layers in this case was made at one time, with an approximate layer
thickness of 1.5mm, which is a double lay up of fibre cloth and resin at one single time. Layers
could be done one by one, waiting about 2 hours between each layer, always compressing the
composite for more adherence.

Figure 63 - Layers of fibre/resin composite applied over Head tube lug connection

7 Compress the composite for curing

It is important to compress the lug reinforcement to create a compact fitting, and also to
extract the excessive resin from it.

58
 Figure 64 - Compressed Head tube lug for curing

The test is to determine the behaviour of the bamboo/plastic/fiber composite assembly

under bending conditions.

5.2 MANUFACTURING GUIDELINES, ISSUES AND RECOMMENDATIONS

There were many issues concerning the assembly of the prototypes. First and main one
regards of the bamboo dimensions and alignment. While in the 3D models, the bamboo poles are
considered as linear circular hollow tubes, in real life they have more of an elliptical cross section
shape, are tapered due to the growing direction and can be often misaligned with a theoretical
longitudinal axis. There can be great deviation for the mean dimensions for outer and inner
diameter. However, the bamboo tube’s wall thickness seems to be constant through the whole
section area, which makes possible to adjust the printed plastic parts to even elliptical shapes, by
filing the inner walls for the smaller inner dimension.
Therefore, the bamboo canes should be selected using rigorous measuring, checking for
straight canes and circular as possible. It is very important to obtain the closest dimensions to the
CAD model, so that a tight/interference fit is possible during assembly, which helps positioning and
holding the components together while gluing and curing of the composite lug cover.
The bamboo canes have to sand on the ends in order to form a rough grip so that the
composite can adhere easily to it. The plastic parts seems to have already small bumps through

59
its surfaces due to the layer deposition of the FDM processes, so they can be just cleaned before
receiving the composite cover.
As expected, the assembly is rather easy to be made by one person, take about 8 full hours
from start to completion, from cutting the bamboo, sand it, glue it to the plastic parts, and apply the
layers of composite.
Another important aspect is the orienting direction in the FDM process, since the strength of
the printed parts is extremely linked with that. Further testing on that issue is highly recommended.

Figure 65 - Final concept prototype

6.0 COST ASSESMENT

An important issue to be addressed is the cost effectiveness of the design, in order for the
product to have an economical appeal to the general public. Overall, the less environmentally
impacting the product is, the less it is going cost to be produced, assuming that the costs are
mostly related to processing of raw materials. Bamboo has the advantage of already be shaped in
the desired cross section for the application, having no need for further geometry processing, it
only has to be cut to size. The plastic parts will add cost of ABS cartridges used to feed the
machine, and the support material as well.

60
 In the following table the cost for the prototype is break-down in order to approximate the
cost of a real built product.

Sub-total
Cost
Component Material Unit Quantity cost
(GBP)/unit
(GBP)
Bamboo
Top tube meters 0.49 3.36 1.65
(Moso)

Down tube Bamboo 0.55 3.36 1.85

meters
(Moso)
Seat tube Bamboo 0.47 2.95 1.39
meters
(Moso)
Chain stays Bamboo 0.54 0.25 0.14
meters
(Moso)
Seat stays Bamboo 0.84 0.25 0.21
meters
(Moso)
Heat tube shell Aluminium* kilograms 3 2.23 6.69
Seat tube shell Aluminium* kilograms 3 2.23 6.69
Bottom bracket
Aluminium* kilograms 3 2.23 6.69
shell
Dropouts Steel** kilograms 0.266 0.68 0.18
Head tube lug ABS*** kilograms 0.173 30 5.19
Seat tube lug ABS*** kilograms 0.163 30 4.89
Bottom bracket
ABS*** kilograms 0.211 30 6.33
lug
Lugs
Jute
reinforcements – meters 1 1.8 1.8
fibre****
Jute fibre cloth
Lugs
Epoxy
reinforcements – kilograms - - -
Resin****
Epoxy Resin
Total cost: 43.7
Table 5 - Cost composition table for the bike design

* Price for a round bar to be machined into the specified dimensions for the design (Source:
London Metal Exchange)
** Price for weight to be casted
*** Price considering only the build material. Support material quantity will depend on the print
orientation.
**** Estimated quantities for fibre and epoxy, since it wasn’t used an accured measuring system.

61
 From the table estimates, the conclusion is that by using those materials, and the product
behaving as the expected on the computacional simulations, it is possible to obtain a good
performance frame by a very affordable price for manufacturing.
However, those calculations don’t take into account costs with energy to run machines to
print, machine, cut and sand, and neither the human labour put into it. But since it was proven to
be a very simple process and easy to be replicated, it would probably have low impact on the
product’s final price for retailing.

7.0 FINAL CONSIDERATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS

It was proven that the rapid prototyping process can help on the assembly of the bike
frame, and be a reliable structural material for the bike lug’s core. It is viable to build a bike frame
with low cost and reliable process, as long as a rigorous methodology is applied to manufacturing,
from sourcing the material, through the assembly.
Further testing on the frame are still needed to confirm the functionality of the design and its
compliance with international safety standards.
The parametric 3D model has shown to be a great tool for producing fast geometry
iterations and also to quickly produce data for the 3D printing processes, with no need for complex
engineering drawing. Although would be recommended to have some kind of guidance for
manufacturing and assembly of the components made by this method.
It is highly important to clarify that this project is still in the need of a lot of research, so it
can become a robust database for the methodology of designing structures using natural materials
such as bamboo, fibres and resin, in combination with additive manufacturing processes. A great
advantage of that methodology would be the capacity of quickly build complex geometry without
the need for expensive tooling or machines.
Furthermore, this initiative was a great learning opportunity and it is expected to keep
generating possibilities on the use of more sustainable materials, searching for building strong and
lightweight structures with material from nature.

8.0 REFERENCES

Ashby, Michael F (2011). Materials Selection in Mechanical Design. Burlington:

Butterworth-Heinemann.
Ashby, Michael F; Shercliff, H; Cebon, D (2009). Materials: Engineering, Science,
Processing and Design. 2nd ed. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.
Maestrelli, L. (2008). Bicycle Frame Optimization By Means Of An Advanced Gradient
Method Algorithm. Available:

62
http://altairatc.com/europe/presentations/Session9/Session09_Maestrelli_Maestrelli.pdf. Last
accessed 20th May 2014.
Bamboo Bicycle Club. (2014). Bamboo Bicycle Club. Available:
http://bamboobicycleclub.org/. Last accessed 14th July 2014.
London Metal Exchange. (2014). LME Aluminium. Available: http://www.lme.com/en-
gb/metals/non-ferrous/aluminium/. Last accessed 25th July 2014.

63